Why Grieving the Holy Spirit is Counterproductive to Sanctification

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30

The word grieve means to “cause great distress to (someone),” or to sadden, upset, pain, hurt or wound. The use of the word grieve here implies that the Holy Spirit is a person with emotions, which further affirms the personhood of God in the Trinity. Acknowledging the personhood of the Spirit and all He does for us can allow us to see how important it is not to grieve Him! Before we get into some of the causes and effects of grieving the Holy Spirit, let’s make a couple of points about just some of what He does for us!

#1) We are marked by the Spirit as belonging to God:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14

#2) The Spirit gives us joy and hope:

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27

We could easily go on quoting scripture showing how the Holy Spirit is our advocate, our teacher, our counselor and our comforter and more. However Him guaranteeing our redemption, helping us in our prayer life and giving us joy and hope is enough to illustrate how important it is that we don’t tarnish our relationship with God by grieving His Spirit!

The easiest ways to grieve the Holy Spirit is through our own SIN and DISOBEDIENCE.

Having the proper view of our own sin, rebellion and disobedience is vital. God always provides a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) however we must acknowledge and confess our sins before Him.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.. – 1 John 1:8-10

A repentant lifestyle is vital to a having a healthy Christian life. The Spirit will correct us, however we must respond right away.

“Whenever the Spirit checks, call a halt and get the thing right, or you will go on grieving Him without knowing it.” – Oswald Chambers

We must remember what the Lord says about His discipline and chastening! (Read Hebrews 12:3-11) We are told:

Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. – Hebrews 12:5

We should also be encouraged as to what God’s discipline means about His love for us and what it will produce in our lives!

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11

One frightening effect of grieving the Spirit through persistent sin and disobedience is that He will wither His comfort. Consider the contemplations and prayers of David in Psalm 32:3-5 and Psalm 51:10-12.

The Lord Jesus told the disciples that it was to their advantage for Him to go away because the Holy Spirit would come. (John 16:7) The Holy Spirit should be the most precious to us as we live on this earth, and we should be mindful not to grieve Him. He is our comforter, counselor, advocate, guide, intercessor, teacher, witness, the Spirit of Truth, the convicter of sin, and the Spirit of God. (Source reference for names of God)

When the Spirit chastens us we must let Him have His way. His desire is that we relate rightly to God. Our sanctification is His aim.

“Am I prepared to let God grip me by His power and do a work in me that is worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly.” – Oswald Chambers

How does contemplating the work of the Holy Spirit in your life alter your tolerance of sin and your desire to obey God’s commands?

About Jason Herrington

After spending fifteen years of his life aggressively pursing financial success in various business endeavors, Jason became disillusioned with what was being taught by the success “experts.” After many years searching for answers amongst new-age teachings, the mystical, the occult, and other spiritual practices, he found that nothing made a lasting difference in his life--which was becoming increasingly confusing and wrought with hardship. No matter how hard he worked he was left with more problems and questions. Then, a few years later he found the one solution that would change his life forever--giving his life to Jesus Christ.
Once a strong skeptic and opponent of Christianity, now Jason is completely in awe of the God who, in His mercy, still made Himself known to him, despite his aversion. Now he is passionate and committed to searching for answers exclusively from God’s Word. His ministry seeks to target any and all individuals attracted to the success and personal development industry, as well as the new age movement, and deliver God’s truth. Visit www.elevate2great.com to see more of his work.